


The indomitable soul

by margomikina



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/M, Mild torture, Other, Thresh is awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:31:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margomikina/pseuds/margomikina
Summary: There is no such thing as 'death' for the ones who reside on the Shadow Isles. Thresh has found his own version of peace on the isle and he was fine with staying like this for a long, long time. but of course, someone had to ruin his plans. But somehow, he doesn't mind.





	1. prologue

A dark forest, that is the only way to describe this... haunted place. No light came through the thick branches that lay over the forest like a thick blanket. The only source of light would be the few fireflies that flew about, but unlike their friendly and bright counterparts these were glowing green and ate flesh rather than insects or plants. They fly ominously in the air, their favorite hobby leading lost souls deeper into the forest to the keeper, where they would be locked away forever.

Branches seemed to move occasionally, creaking in protest as they acquired a new position, adding an even darker vibe to the forest. Stray people would instantly turn tail and run for their lives upon laying eyes on this forest, and that is why a wanderer was a very rare sight, but welcomed. 

Suddenly, a small part of the forest was lit up by a small glowing orb. It moved swiftly through the forest, leaving a trail of sparks in it's wake and making a high whistling sound. It moved with such swiftness it could barely be kept up with on foot. It flew and flew until it was stopped in its tracks. Even though the thing looked like a ball of gas, it was solid in the center, just like any soul. Soft on the outside, but solid within. The soul took a while to regain its senses, only to look up onto a tall hooded figure. 

Two pale and frail looking hands reached up and cupped the being in between, holding it up to the hooded head. As the light of the soul came closer it illuminated the face of the person. it showed a curious and beautiful female face, bright blue eyes sparking with curiosity as it looked upon the soul. The woman could feel it's being within it's hands, so fragile and fleeting. She could feel it was scared, and wanted to get out immediately, but somehow it stayed within her hands, like it wanted to. 

One hand stroked the top of the creature in a comforting gesture before lowering it so it could no longer look upon her face. The creature waited for what the woman would do, hoping that she could help it and save it from its pursuer. The woman's face was once again shrouded in darkness. She moved her hands to the sides of the creature. To its horror, from her hands bones started protruding her skin, growing larger and larger until it was fit to envelop the glowing thing. Finally understanding, the soul began to squirm, but the bones already were too far to allow it to escape.

It could no nothing but struggle and screech it's high pitched sound as it watched itself get trapped. The bones formed until a cage was formed. The soul could easily see through it, but could not escape. It looked up at her face, but unlike the nice and gentle face it saw before it could now only see a pair of blue glowing eyes and a cruel smile with pure white teeth from the shadow of the hood. Soon a deep chuckle could be heard. it strengthened in volume, to the point where the female was blatantly laughing, as if amused by the soul's predicament. It knew then that the soul had made a grave mistake.


	2. The chain warden

Little did they know that the whole ordeal was being watched by a pair of inhumane green eyes. No pupils, just green. They narrowed as it looked upon the duo, the soul now trapped within a bone cage. It wondered what the person would do. Thing was, she didn't do anything. She just stood there, the cage in her delicate hands. She watched as the thing shook with fear and seemed to revel in it's torment. 

Finally the 'onlooker' decided to show itself. It emerged from the shadow, the green flames illuminating it's body mysteriously. The sound of chains filled the air as he moved. His lantern was strictly by his side, glowing a calming green, yet there were soft screeches coming from it. The chain the figure was carrying was held securely in his right hand, ready to use if so needed. The figure looked like it came straight from hell.

The woman gasped as she looked to the side. She pressed the bone cage to her chest, as if to protect it. ''I believe that is mine'' the chain warden said as he pointed at the glowing soul that she held so closely to her body. The woman looked down at the creature as it looked back at her. Looking deep into the soul she saw that it was even more scared than before. With a sadistic grin she stretched out her hand. The cage gently flew off of it and towards the chain warden. Once near Thresh held up his lantern and opened it. The bone cage started dissolving into dust, but before the soul could actually escape it was sucked into the lantern with a loud screech.

The woman seemed intrigued as she looked at the lantern. her curiosity, however was concealed behind the shadow of her hood. Now having retrieved the escaped soul he should have been on his way, but his curiosity grew for the figure. He knew of nearly every creature in the Shadow Isles, yet this one appeared new to him. It wasn't an undead. At least not entirely, for he could sense a soul deep within the person, but it was very vague.   
''who are you?'' it was the simplest of questions, and so he was sure that she would be able to answer him. A long drawn out silence followed the question. Finally a soft voice sounded through. ''My name is Zaphara'' she answered simply. This only made his curiosity peak. ''Such an unusual name. Why have you come here?'' he asked, finally realizing that she was in fact female. 

The woman looked up at the thick branches above them that seemed to glow a soft blue. ''I have come here to seek a home'' she simply said, a small smirk creeping onto her lips. ''You must wonder why I chose this place, for only a fool would come here to seek refuge. But when I was still living I heard many things about 'The Shadow Isles'. They believe it to be a myth. Non-existing. Just a ghost story to frighten children. But I knew better'' She looked back at his glowing face, not at all frightened by his appearance anymore. She held out a hand as one of the fireflies came up onto her arm. She touched it gently as it gnawed at her arm, but it could not penetrate her skin.

''When I first set foot here I immediately knew something was wrong with this place. My skkin crawled and in the pit of my stomach I felt a terrible revulsion. Life didn't belong here. But I also knew... somehow, deep inside I knew that the islands welcomed me. They wanted me. As I wandered deeper I saw death all around me. Ghostly trees, grass and flowers engulfed me in their horrifying radiance. It was so quiet and so beautiful. I passed my hand through a spectral leaf fluttering in the wind, but there was no wind. That was when I understood that death was another world and I was at its door'' The description fit perfectly to his home, Thresh realized. The firefly that was on her arm moved up to her face, shining upon it just like the soul previously did. This allowed Thresh to look upon her beautiful and pale face, yet he seemed unfazed.

Another long silence grew between the two as both seemed to think. ''Well I am not the type of specter to tell someone they can not live here. You are welcome to stay on these isles, as long as you do not disturb me with my work'' ''and what type of work might that be?'' ''collecting souls'' The woman smirked at him with a roll of her eyes. ''Right. I will no longer interfere. Now excuse me, chain warden'' she said, bowing mockingly before disappearing into the woods. Thresh made no move to stop her. Why would he? He had nothing more to do with her, nor did he want to. 

Looking down at his lantern he thought that it was time to teach the escaped soul a lesson. He had completely forgotten about it when talking to Zaphara, but now he could spend the whole night with the little stubborn soul. He would have great pleasure tormenting it.


	3. torture

''No! Please no! Have mercy!'' the human cried out as his finger was gripped between the sharp jaws of the tool. His torturer looked upon him sadistically, reveling in his fear and anguish. The human's eyes were wide with pure horror at the man before he slowly started putting pressure on the pincer he was holding. ''PLEASE!'' 

SNAP

His final plea was not enough to stop the cruel creature from severing his finger from his hand, cutting straight through the bone. The finger fell down onto the floor, the man's hand dripped blood into the already existing puddle beneath the table like structure he was chained to. His body was full of clearly visible cuts, his face contorted in pain and horror, his mouth open in a silent scream. Finally he let out a grunt of pain. His throat was sore and burning, something caused by the drowning torture he had to go through previously.

The dungeon that they currently were in looked just as sinister and creepy as this torture chamber. It was underground, several cells were underneath the mansion that lay somewhere deep in the forest. The mansion was left abandoned when the corruption crept onto the islands. Of course, Thresh found good uses for it's dungeons and torture chamber, he barely came out of the dungeon.

''screaming won't do you any good'' his torturer mumbled, his green sinister flames flaring up with excitement. ''But it's music to my ears'' He lifted his scythe up in the view of his victim, the sharp blade glowing in the dim light of the chamber. ''I will make you scream...'' he said as he dug the tip into the man's chest. ''...and beg...'' he dug it even further, slowly, agonizingly. The man was already screaming from the pain. ''... for me to relieve you'' He stopped just before the tip of the weapon would reach his heart. ''But I never will'' with that final saying he ripped the scythe out with enough force to send pieces of flesh through the air. The man nearly screamed out his lungs as his chest was opened, leaving it naked to the eye. The center of his chest thumped visibly, meaning that his heart was only covered by an inch of flesh and bone.

The maniacal laughter of the specter filled the air as he enjoyed the torture he was giving the man. But he stopped himself mid laugh as he heard a loud crash near the doorway. In a flash he twisted his body to face the door, his scythe already having left his hand and going directly for the intruder. A satisfying clang was heard as the chain made contact, and with a sharp tug the victim was pulled towards him with such force that made the intruded fly in his direction. Once close Thresh grasped it around his neck and lifted it off the floor.

''What are you doing here?'' he asked, his flames raging behind him angrily. Someone had invaded his home, interrupted his work. They would pay. He lifted the intruder higher so the light of his lantern would hit him. His spectral eyes slightly widened as he recognized who it was. ''what are you doing in my home?'' he asked, his anger still not having subsided.

The female before him struggled to remove the hand from around her throat. Even though she was undead, she still needed some essential life essences... like air. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to talk in her current position he removed his hand, but before the woman could pull away from him he took hold of her wrists and forcefully pushed her against the wall. She hit her head against the wall, causing her to close her eyes momentarily and hiss in pain. ''Why are you here?'' he demanded once more.

The woman looked at him defiantly. While most people would cower under his unearthly gaze she did not waver. In fact, she challenged him. ''why are you here?!'' he demanded again, moving his face closer to hers as if to intimidate her. It didn't affect her in any way however. ''I simply came here to see what you do'' she answered, surprising the specter. With a growl coming from deep within his being he gave her wrists one hard shove before letting her go. As she was finally free she rubbed her wrists. Red spots formed where his gauntlets had dug into her skin.

Of course this wasn't the first time someone was interested in his work. Yorick and Hecarim came by many times to see his work. But it put him off that this woman looked a lot more human than any other undead. He could feel her soul, but it was faint and vague, as if it wasn't fully there. He wanted it, but he knew that taking the souls of the ones that live on the shadow isles was forbidden, and even he would not dare break that rule. 

She looked far too human for his liking. ''Just don't get in my way'' he said, placing his scythe back on his belt and his lantern floating beside him to give him light. He continued his torture on the man that had stayed quietly on the bench, not dead. He could never die. He would feel pain but he would not die or fall unconscious. That was the eternal torment promised to those that came to the shadow isles. Eternal torture by the hands of the chain warden.

Zaphara stayed true to the warden's condition. She stayed in the background, occasionally looking over his shoulder to see his work. Not once did he feel disturbed by any questions or actions, for she remained in the corner with her mouth shut, only watching. Finally, after about an hour of torture he finally stopped. He cleaned his tools with a piece of cloth that was already stained with blood. During his session he had truly completely forgot about the spectator, and was surprised to see her still standing in the corner. he silently continued to clean his tools, placing them back in their rightful places.

Finally she spoke. ''Have you ever tried the Tongue tearer or the Heretics Fork?'' she suggested. He turned to her, raising a non-existent eyebrow at her suggestion. How did she know about these torture devices. These things definitely weren't part of common knowledge. Only those that worked with them knew their names. ''Yes I have them right there. Why?'' She shrugged at his question. ''Just thought it would be fun to see'' This peaked his curiosity. So this woman was interested in torture, his favorite hobby. Hecarim and Yorick were only interested in the reactions of the victims, but they never asked about how the tools worked. They didn't see the art in torture. Not like she did.

''If you want you can come over for my next session. I should have a fresh soul. They break easily'' He said with a small chuckle as he turned to the male that was still slowly dripping blood. He had fallen silent during their conversation, but that was only because Thresh had stopped the torture. His whole body was numb.

With a wave of the spectre's hand the body of the chained man turned green and quickly turned into a orb of light like she had seen before. Thresh moved his lantern, and it sucked up the now weak soul. The woman kept looking at him, her hood disappeared from her head somewhere along the session due to it being in the way. With her face now fully exposed he could see that she was thinking, contemplating on something. ''I actually don't have anywhere to stay'' The warden sighed deeply. Somehow he knew that this was coming. After all, she had only come to the Isles recently and it's not like there was an empty house waiting for her arrival.

''take one of the rooms in the mansion. Just don't bother me'' he said dismissively as he started walking back into the hall. Behind his back the woman held a mischievous smile on her beautiful lips. She already found something that enabled him to talk. Torture was his thing, his being, his purpose. Now she could only hope he would open up to her and she could finally start.


	4. I don't always do what I'm told

The thing that woke her up was not the sun. The sun did not exist on this island. No, she woke up from the sounds of chains dragging along the hallway. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up from the bed, a surprisingly luxurious and clean bed. It was a king's size, with a dark green blanket over it that was quite clean. She pushed herself off the bed and stretched. Her bones were aching. Now you might be wondering why she was in bed when she undead, for it is common knowledge that the undead do not sleep. Thing is, she merely rests her body for a few hours. Today, she has 'slept' for 2 hours. It was probably around 4 am human hours, though on the Shadow Isles they do not care about the time.

She had been in Thresh's mansion for 2 nights now. Just as promised she was allowed to see the many torture devices that the warden owned, and he even demonstrated some, showing how they worked as she shared her interest about torture with him. Thresh could see that his work truly intrigued her, and so he had no problem explaining about his favorite hobby.

Back to the matter at hand, Zaphara knew that this was odd. If Thresh were to go to the dungeons he would not have to go past her room (which he didn't know she was in due to not caring where she stayed). Curiously she quickly dressed herself properly and peaked out the door. She could hear the chains from far away, clanking against his long coat. She followed after him. She heard the front door open and close with a loud creak. Looking out the window she saw him making his way into the dark forest.

Not having anything better to do she opened the window and jumped out of it rather than make a lot of noise with the door. She followed him in the forest, keeping enough distance so she would only be able to see the glowing of his lantern. They walked for what felt like ages, until finally, all of a sudden the woman could no longer see the green light. It faded, vanished into thin air, as well as Thresh. She moved cautiously closer to where she had last seen it, only the realize it had disappeared, along with Thresh. The only thing she saw was a large bow like structure. She walked closer to one of the pillars, realizing there was something written on it. It was written in the language of the undead.

''through this portal you may go  
if the living are your foes  
strike fear in their heart  
and their souls shall depart''

''we did not do it for the glory,  
yet our lives have been turned into a story.  
we just wanted to be free  
of the cruel king and his decree.  
Now the whole world knows,  
The valiant path we chose''

There was a loud hum and all of a sudden the structure was engulfed in a flash of light. Backing away from the unwanted light she slowly opened her eyes to see the inside of the structure emiting light. There was a array of colors within it, every single color in existence flashing in it. It was obviously a portal, but where did it lead?

Curious to find out she cautiously stepped over to it. 3 steps was all it took for her to go through it. She was not afraid of the unknown, and so she stepped through it with determination. A flash of colors made her close her eyes, but she kept walking. Finally she could feel light shine upon her. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself in an odd looking room. grey all over, with lit chandeliers on the walls. It looked like some failed attempt to resemble The Shadow Isles. Looking back at the portal she found that there was only a small platform, rather than a structure made of stone. The platform glowed blue with magic and technology. 

Deciding to leave this place she walked through the door, finding herself in another room. There were 14 doors all standing in a circle with one door standing out. Beside every door was a plate that stated a name. She read a few. Piltover, Zaun, Demacia. The door she just came from read 'Shadow Isles'. The middle door was much larger and had no name plate on it. It was a large double door made of oaken wood. Her curiosity peaked once more and she stepped towards it, opening it slowly.

In front of her was what looked like a ball room, the ceiling stretching high above them with chandeliers hanging above. It was highly luxurious. There were paintings on the walls of all kinds of people, but most of them were pictures or painting of people dressed in dark purple robes. Now that she realized nearly everyone in the hall was dressed in the same purple robes. Some of them carried what looked like glass orbs, but only a select few did so. She even saw some talk into the orbs like it was a person. This truly confused her.

Nobody seemed to pay any attention to her, which she was thankful for. She knew that everyone here in the room was human, besides herself. Despite her black standing out between all the purple cloaks nobody looked weirdly at her as she moved through the crowd. She didn't know where she had landed, but she did know that she wanted to find out what this was. Luckily she wasn't stupid enough to ask where she was. That would surely grant some unwanted attention, and possibly a lot of trouble which she'd rather avoid. 

When she was around halfway towards the end of the ballroom a voice caught everyone's attention. Everyone instantly stood at the ready, turning to the end of the room where she had wanted to venture. There now stood a platform with a man on top. He was wearing similar robes to the rest, except his was a bright red. ''It is time for the game we have all been waiting for! OBC vs CG. the teams are as followed'' The man pointed behind him and instantly a screen popped up with a scedule. It read:  
ObamaCare  
ThePeacePigeon jungle Jarvan  
Ollinava ADC Corki  
Jadenava top Jax  
Immykiris support Leona  
JimmyChow mid Orianna

Compact Gaming  
Acclamator jungle Warwick  
Peepwood ADC Graves  
StProphet top Malphite  
Yanipir support Thresh  
Sp4zie mid Syndra

 

She had wanted to leave this place, whatever was about to happen she didn't want to be part of it, but upon seeing Thresh's name she figured she might as well stay and see what this was all about. ''The game is about to begin'' the announcer finally said, moving away from the platform. The screen momentarily turned black before it showed something else. She did not know how to describe it, but others would describe it as the summoner's rift. The 5 champions stood in their base, buying their items before heading to lane.

She had never seen such a thing, all kinds of creatures and people being led through a place like that, led through battle that consisted of strategy and raw power. It was amazing to see all these things, what all these people could do. it was like a whole new world opened up for her. She liked their strategies, varying from supporting, to diving in the back line. She liked the strategy of the man in the purple robe and mask, the wolf and Thresh best, for they were ruthless and did not leave until their enemy was beaten to a pulp or left in a pool of their own blood.

She continued to watch as the two teams were tied, Thresh was doing extremely well, having only taken 1 kill, died 2 times and participated in 8 of the 15 kills. Her fast mind quickly picked up on words between the spectators, varying from KDA, to Nexus. She found out their goal, but not the purpose for playing. It was all so weird to her. In the end Thresh's team had won, but only by an inch. A lucky and almost impossible hook, as the spectators described it, allowed them to take the victory.

The screen turned black again and everyone clapped and cheered for the winning team. After 5 minutes of cheering another double door at the side of the ballroom opened and the champions from the game walked out along with more purple robed people by their side. They seemed to mix in with the crowd, compliments being thrown their way from all sides. Most champions took these compliments with a happy smile, but some simply ignored them and moved through the crowd. 

Finally she saw the flames of his neck stick above the crowd. He was near the wall, probably wanting to high tail it out of there. That was when the warden noticed an odd colored robe sticking out from within the crowd. their eyes met and for a moment Thresh thought his eyes betrayed him. He shook his head, thinking that he was imagining it. It might have been the newly collected souls messing with his mind. 

He made his way towards the large oaken doors only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Turning around he came face to face with someone he didn't want here. He didn't want her to see him like that, a puppet. Controlled by others. His eyes narrowed dangerously. The only thing Zaphara wanted was some answers to her questions, but judging from his expression she would be getting none. He turned to her, and it was then that Zaphara realized that he was at least a head taller than her, which gave him an even more intimidating look. While she did not fear him, she was definitely worried.

''what are you doing here?'' his voice suggested that he was suppressing his anger. The restless flames behind his back and how his hand tightened around his scythe was proof enough. She knew that lying against him was futile, so she simply told the truth. ''I followed you''. This obviously only fueled his anger. ''Why would you follow me, woman?'' he asked angrily, his voice rising from a normal volume to a near yelling one. ''I need to explore'' she tried to reason with him. ''You don't need to explore anything!'' his yell resounded through the whole ball room, the sound bouncing off the walls and creating an echo. Nearly everyone turned towards the two.

Thresh, surprised at his own outburst, looked at the crowd with a bewildered expression. They were all turned to them, looking at them with wide eyes. Never had they seen Thresh have such a burst of anger. He was always calm, the one that would not flinch at anything genuinely, only mockingly. This was the first time in many years that he had such an outburst. Looking back at Zaphara he saw that she was just as surprised as him. He cursed her hood which had fallen off when they started to talk, for now he could see her full expression. Her eyes were slightly wide, her neck now fully exposed to show him her scars. He could tell the tale behind each and every one. ''forget it'' he mumbled under his breath for only her to hear. He strode past her, his chains and the closing of the door the only thing heard as he walked through the large oaken doors. 

Zaphara stood there, staring at the closed doors before her. Now with Thresh gone everyone was staring at her. They didn't know her or her relationship with Thresh, but it was obvious that they just had a fight. They didn't know what it was about however. For the first time in years Zaphara knew she had to admit her mistake. She had done something horribly wrong, even if she didn't know what or why. The little chance she had to accomplish her goal was now gone unless she did something about it. But she just didn't know what. The only way she could now be described was...

distraught.


	5. the imprisoner

Naturally, Zaphara didn't show herself at Thresh's mansion that day. She was out somewhere in the forest, doing god knows what. But it's not like Thresh cared about her wellbeing. He was too mad and, dare he say it, embarrassed about what had happened. It was not that everyone had been looking at him when he yelled, but it was just the yelling itself. The last time he had such an outburst was when he was still alive, and that was because a prisoner just wouldn't scream or even acknowledge the torture he was giving him. It was all because of her that he had lost his temper, but why did he do so in the first place.

He didn't hold any attraction to her. The only thing that connected them was their shared interest for torture. Thresh tried desperately to find the reason for his outburst. What did he feel back then? Anger, that was a given. But did he feel something else? embarrassment? maybe. But maybe there could have been a hint of fear. No, not fear. He was not capable of fear. He worried. But why?

He tried to understand himself. He knew It had been a long time before someone had shown true interest in his work. He had actually enjoyed having her in the corner, admiring his work from a distance. It made him feel even more proud of his work. And now that she was not here to watch his work, he could not help but feel...

empty.

He had so enjoyed having her there that he wanted it more often. That was probably the reason. But there was something else, there had to be. But that was not something Thresh wanted to dwell on for too long. For now he just wanted to amuse himself with his current victim that lay strapped before him. All 4 of his limbs were tied with ropes. The torture device was called 'The Rack'. It ties all 4 limbs to the en of the table. Every time Thresh would move the handle the victim's limbs would be pulled. It was used to dislocate every single joint in the human body, and in medieval times it was known as one of the most painful torture devices. It was one of the less fun ways, but fun none the less.

He listened to the woman's screams to try and distract himself from the thought of the woman.

Said woman was aimlessly wandering through the swamp. She didn't know what to do. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, of course they were about her current situation. How was she supposed to obtain her goal when she couldn't even reach him now? Surely he would send her away if he were to see her again, or possibly even kill her. She did not want to risk that. She hadn't expected for him to be so angry at her over particularly nothing. Surely he must have a good reason to be angry at her.

She knew what the institute of war was, but simply had never seen it. She knew the general idea of the games, What they were, what was done and why they do it. Most champions did it for their own purposes, most unknown, some did it to represent their faction or city. She guessed that Thresh did it because he wanted to collect the souls that he could torture later. That is most likely the case, but what she did not understand was his reason for being so angry. Surely there was nothing wrong with her being there.

But no matter how much she thought about it there was still the problem of her now no longer being near him. She had to figure out a way to get close to him somehow without him trying to cut off her head. But how...

It was as if a light bulb lit up in her head. Of course! That was perfect! This plan seemed quite risky, but at the same time it was genius! She rubbed her hands as she started to work out her little plan. A dark chuckle escaped her.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 days passed and Thresh hadn't found a trace of a woman. By now he had gotten used to not having her around. Of course, she had only been there for 2 nights in the first place. It was Thursday, which meant that he had to go to the institute for 1 more day before he'd have his break. From there on his holoforms would play the games instead of him, just like they always did. But right now, he had to endure another game.

He was standing in the waiting room with his teammates, waiting for their game to start. There were 4 of them, the last one not having showed yet. They didn't even know who it was going to be. Thresh was quietly reading a tome that he had taken from the institute's library. It was a history tome, explaining all kinds of underworld magic. He had seen several champions use it, mainly the death singer.

His ADC, or as he called them 'burdens', was Ashe for this match. She was quite social, which he absolutely hated. Of course, just like any other match, she came to him to talk about strategies and idle chat. While he would usually ignore her, this time she said something that slightly caught his attention.

''Seems that our last teammate is going to be the new champion'' she had said idly, not directly looking at him but instead looking at the enemy team composition. Thresh looked up from his book to take a curious look at her. ''and who might that be?''

The frost archer shrugged. ''Who knows. Could be anyone. They wanted to keep it a surprise'' He only gave the thought a few seconds to process before he decided it was not worth his time. The new champion would be a top laner, so he would have little to do with him this game.

''All champions please get ready on the platforms'' she announcer said through the speaker. Getting up from his seat he stood on the platform, which was starting to glow a vibrant blue. His teammates soon followed, but they were still missing one champion. Shaking his head at the unfortunate scenario he knew that there was a possibility that they would lose the game because of that. Nevertheless they went into the game.

The game proceeded as usual, everyone went to their appointed lanes with their summoners to guide them. It was the 2 minute mark, minions had just reached the lane when the announcer yelled through the arena. ''A summoner has reconnected'' Nobody could look at the new champion, for they did not have the means to see him, and so they just continued with their lane.

This might have been the most boring lane Thresh had ever had. So far, only 2 kills had fallen, they were on both him and the enemy support, Taric. The kills went to both AD carries, which still rendered the lane at a stalemate. Thresh was hiding in the bush, waiting to get a hit on the Ezreal. Finally he seemed to stand just away from the minions, just enough for the warden to chain him. He threw his hook, catching the surprised explorer around the abdomen and pulling him towards him. However, what he did not realize was the enemy jungler, Jarvan, to come in and interrupt him. Ashe, who had begun attacking Ezreal, was caught off guard as Taric stunned her, and all three enemies jumped on top of her, killing her in mere seconds.

Thresh was now left without any damage or support whatsoever, and so his summoner saw no other choice than to run. However, out of the corner of his eye he could see one of his minions engulfed in a blue light that circled around it. Someone was teleporting to help him. As he ran away he scanned over the enemy team. Both Jarvan and Taric were around 50% health, while Ezreal was at a mere 25%. They could be able to take them all down if they played it right. And so, just before the teleport ended, Thresh threw his hook, catching the Taric and pulled himself towards them. Using his flay and his ultimate he decided that that was enough distraction. He quickly flashed out of it so that the enemies would not be able to reach him.

The teleport ended and next to the minion now stood a woman, and he instantly recognized her. It was Zaphara (shocker) clad in a skin tight dark blue tight body suit that was lined with weird looking knives around the waist and legs. Her black hair was pulled up into a tight bun. She smirked as the enemy team looked at her. All of a sudden, a weird looking substance started forming on her body, creating something that looked like bone armor, with a skull and ribs to match. ''Say goodbye'' she said before charging at the enemy team.

First she headed for Ezreal, who had stood dumbly in the middle of Thresh's box. She had killed him off in 3 simple hits, her bone armor increasing the damage she did. With him now dead on the ground she turned to the gem knight, smirking menacingly. He tried to run away, but with a wave of her hand skeletal hands popped from the ground and grabbed his ankles. With a terrified gasp he looked down, only to feel a sharp pain in his shoulder. A bone scythe, similar to Thresh's was lodged in his shoulder. Then he felt a full body weight on his back, pushing him down on the ground before his head was smashed into the ground with a sickening crack.

Over his body stood Zaphara, smirking wickedly. her bone armor had disappeared, crumbled into a pile on the floor. Now all that was left was Jarvan. As Thresh looked upon her he saw something nobody else could. A soft green glow coming from her chest. He had seen it before, but not this clear. During the fight it had become more bright, pulsing with life. It was her soul. But why was it so dim before? Why did he only truly notice it now?

During her little skirmish killing the two she had taken quite a bit of damage from all of them, especially Jarvan who had tried to stop her from killing his teammates. He now loomed over her menacingly, spear poised to impale her. 

Thresh would not let this happen. He ran towards her as soon as he saw Jarvan moving in from behind her. With a final effort to save her he thrust his lantern forward. It landed just beside her. Without hesitation she clamped onto it just as Thresh pulled it away with an extremely sharp tug just as Jarvan brought his spear down. It merely grazed her leg before it plunged into the soil.

As Zaphara flew through the air she didn't know what was happening, but she did know that she had crashed into something solid, which had tumbled down with her. Opening her eyes slowly she realized she was clamping onto a coat, quiet an old one. She pushed herself off into a sitting position and looked down at the fiery skull of Thresh. She smirked down at him while Thresh's face held no expression, only curiosity.

She studied him, this time from much closer than before. The details on his robes were amazing, several magical runes lining the sides, just beside the chains that were wrapped around his body. They glowed a dark green, blending into his cloak so they could only be seen from up close. She didn't know what the runes said, but she did know that this was no ordinary robe. Thresh's eyes narrowed as she studied him, his patience growing thin. ''Don't you have a tower to defend?'' he told her harshly.

Snapping out of her daze she nodded slowly. ''Yea. I should be going'' she said, scrambling off of him and channeling her recall spell. They didn't look at each other as she left.

So that was where she went. For whatever reason she did it, it was foolish. it was degrading to work for the institute. And yet... she still did it.  
His mind was no longer focusing on the game, it was trying to find a reason behind her actions. how did she get here? When? And most importantly, why. 

To his dismay he knew that these questions would remain unanswered until the end of the game, so he decided to just get it over with.


	6. seek and ye shall find

'That was awesome!''   
''good game. Well played everyone''  
The 10 champions were ported back onto their original platforms. The enemy team was in another room, also having finished. The whole game had been close, but there was one decisive turned that allowed Thresh's team to take the victory. It was amazing to see, and all of the champions were currently talking about it with excitement. Never had anyone seen such a thing, it was completely new.

*flashback*

There were 8 people in the middle, trying to prevent the other from taking their second tier tower. It was a fight that went back and forth, their poke and sustain the same with everyone. Both their top laners were gone, Zaphara and Nasus. Nasus was probably off farming the jungle, but there was no doubt he was making his way towards mid lane. Ashe was trying to farm the minions so they could't push, but she was caught out when Jarvan used his pillar and his ult. She couldn't even flash away before the whole team jumped on top of her. 

He was killed in mere seconds, and now with one of the carries dead they pressed on. They had caught Aatrox, their jungler, as well, taking his passive and killing him right after he came back. Syndra, seeing her chance charged forward towards the low health Taric and Jarvan, killing them off. However, she gave her life for it when Ezreal completely bursted her down. 

Now that only left Thresh and Ashe to defend their second tier tower. However, the enemy team's now superior poke was raining down on them, and they were slowly getting lower. From the corner of his eye Thresh could see the enemy Nasus come over towards them. He had already activated his ult, and was charging at them with the intention of slamming them into the ground with his staff. Surely this was going to be an Ace for them. But they were all surprised when a voice spoke as loud as the announcer. ''Behold a true necromancer!'' the voice yelled. 

In the distance where the teamfight had taken place, the ground was covered in red paint with a eye like symbol in the middle. In the next second the dead bodies of both their teammates and enemies started to move. Their flesh vanished, only making way for the bones as they stood up slowly. They let out a odd screech before they turned towards the enemy team, who was in the proces of diving Thresh and Ashe, who weren't able to do anything about it other than try to survive. 

They ran over towards them, moving at quite a fast speed. Ezreal, who was standing between Thresh and Ashe and the skeletons had nowhere to go, no matter where he went. He was the first to be hit by the 4 skeletons who used to be his teammates. They grabbed him, punched him, ripped at his flesh with the sharp bones until he was nothing but a pile of flesh on the floor. Now they concentrated on the next target, Orianna. She used her W to slow them and speed herself up, but what she did not expect were the skeletal hands that popped from the ground and grabbed onto her ankles. 

She screamed as they took apart her gears, throwing them everywhere. Now that Orianna was dead the only one left was Nasus. He was currently chasing Thresh, already having killed Ashe in 3 hits. However, seeing his teammates dead caused him to run in the jungle. When he thought he finally got away he felt a sting in his abdomen, and with a yell Zaphara came flinging at him using the scythe that was lodged in his stomach. She used her bone armor to punch him into the ground, her skeletons soon catching up and helping her to take the big dog down.

*end*

so she was a necromancer of sorts. It was unexpected to see, for most necromancers held staffs or other weapons with which they can command the dead. But this was something entirely different.

Zaphara was on her own platform, not wanting to be part of all the praise but of course, Ashe went over to her and started praising her. It was obvious the undead woman wanted to get away. Finally Thresh made his decision. He called for her. ''Zaphara'' he said softly. The woman turned to him, seeming happy with the distraction. Thresh motioned towards the door. She nodded and followed after him, leaving a confused Ashe behind. 

As the two walked through the door Zaphara noticed the tension in the air. She knew what was to come. An endless string of questions, yelling, and possibly even threats. She walked behind his tall form, looking down at the ground as she drowned in her own thoughts. That train of thoughts was interupted when she collided with his hard back. She rubbed her nose as she stepped back to see him looking at her over his shoulder. ''sorry'' she mumbled. He seemed to raise an eyebrow, for his one eye seemed to grow a bit larger. ''The dead never say sorry''.

There was a moment of the two just staring at each other, Thresh's expression being suspicious, while Zaphara's was just uncomfortable. The warden turned back around and faced the portal that they stood in front of. He started chanting something in the language of the undead. She could not quite grasp what he was saying, for his voice was a lot lower than she was used to. Soon the portal started glowing and they both stepped through.

When she got to the other side she saw Thresh walking away already. She stood there, wondering if he wanted her to follow him or go on her own way. ''Come'' she heard him call, and so without hesitation she followed behind him once more. 

It took a while for them to get to his mansion, and once they got there Thresh lead her into a room that looked like a living room, with a large couch, a radio and even an old and broken tv. The chandelier up on the ceiling was already lit, bathing the room in a nice golden glow.

It was almost disgusting.

Zaphara politely closed the door behind her, only to be pinned against it. She grunted as the back of her head hit the hard wood, momentarily disorienting her. She shook her head and opened her eyes only to see two flaming ones. He was so close. He had her arms pinned to her sides, not allowing any movement. His face was mere inches from her, his eyes narrowed as his flames licked at his skull. He was searching her. A particular part of her body, in fact. He was looking down at her chest.

While most women would be disgusted and call him a pervert, Zaphara knew what he was looking at. She loved it. ''How come you still have a soul and still be undead?'' he growled at her, not looking at her. He reached out his hand, clearly seeing the quivering blue orb within her chest. It was shaking with fear, but Zaphara herself did not show any signs of such an emotion. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying this.

A grin formed on her face. An evil one. Finally she would be rid of it. Rid of the emotions that came with her past that tortured her so. It would all be gone. The memories, the pain, everything. It would all be gone in one single moment. Thresh's hand touched her exposed neck and she gasped in anticipation. He was going to do it. Finally she would be rid of it. His face slowly leaned over to her neck, his skeletal face hanging over it. She felt his lips trace over her neck.

But why wasn't his touch hard like his skull? Why wasn't it piercing her skin and making her feel pain? She could feel the lips place a kiss on her neck, and she gasped as it send shiver down her spine throughout her entire body. What was he doing to her? This wasn't the ritual! Why was he not taking her soul?! These questions barely managed to dominate her hazy mind. She was feeling odd, a feeling creeping up into her stomach and continuing to annoy her there. 

And then as soon as it came, it left. She sank through her knees as her support left, leaving her as a heap on the floor. She was breathing heavily. What just happened? What did he do to her? Did he take her soul? No, he had not. She could still clearly remember the day she had died. She looked up at Thresh, who had his back turned to her. He was unmoving, obviously thinking. Finally, while Zaphara was catching her breath, he spoke. ''You may remain in this mansion if you so please, and I trust that you know of the rules of the league and the Shadow Isles.''

Zaphara was shocked and she wasn't sure why. He was a keeper of souls! Why had he not taken hers?! It would rid her of these painful memories that plagued her. For some reason he refrained from doing so. She was determined to find out why. He could not know what she wanted, for she was sure that he would never do it if he knew. 

And what was that soft touch? How was it possible? Was it a hallucination, or something more? She wanted to know, and she knew exactly where she had to get such information.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She moved swiftly through the forest, elegantly jumping over roots and jumping over the large puddles of the swamp. She was moving with determination and a destination, not stopping until she found it. She heard a constant clopping in the distance. The forest rumbled slightly as she moved deeper in, knowing that her objective was there. 

The rumbling became stronger and stronger to the point where it was almost deafening. She knew she was close. There was a figure in the distance, a fast moving figure at that. It didn't take long before she could recognize the figure. It was a armor clad centaur, with a bladed spear by his side. He was moving extremely fast in her direction.

She purposely stood right in his path, forcing him to stop in his tracks. The large horse man easily towered over her. She only came to his withers. His 'human' body easily looked down upon her. ''Another lost venturer, perhaps?'' he asked himself. The woman looked up and took off her hood. Recognition crossed the horseman's face. ''ah the newest champion. Zaphara, was it?'' she simply nodded. ''Hecarim, Shadow of war, it is a honor to meet you'' she said, slightly bowing her head. The male scoffed. ''We undead do not have need for such formalities. What do you want?'' he asked sternly, letting his spear hit the ground with a loud thud for emphasis.

The woman did not falter. ''I have recently come to live here. While I do not see any need for such a thing, the league required me to introduce and get to know the other residents of the isles. As such I am doing it right now'' She said. Hecarim's hooves stomped on the ground restlessly as he listened. He was doing something important. ''And so you have, is there something else you wish to know?'' he said, his nostrils blazing with impatience. 

''tell me the rules of the isles'' she said firmly. Hecarim sighed. Ah yes, the rules. Words he'd rather forget. They were so restricting, yet necessary to avoid having a war between the representatives. ''Very well. Walk with me'' he said, before leading her deeper into the forest.

His stride was a lot faster than Zaphara was used to, due to his long legs of course. She had some difficulty to keep up with him, and she was starting to think he was enjoying it judging by the smile on his face. ''There are a few simple rules on the Isles. There are 8 of us, including you. Karthus, the deathsinger, resides in the most northrend parts of the isles. It is a wasteland due to his spells. You know me, Hecarim, I reside everywhere on the island. There is Elise, the spider queen, who holds her place on the western, where Vilemaw resides as well. Evelynn, the Widowmaker, who resides together with Elise in the western parts. Mordekaiser, The Master of Metal, he resides in a castle no the southern parts. You should go to him first, for most of us consider him our leader'' Her eyebrow shot up at him saying 'most of us'. Obviously he did not think the same way.

''Then there is Yorick, the gravedigger. He lives in the eastern parts on the smaller islands, where most of the graves are. The last one is Thresh, He lives in a mansion somewhere in the middle of the forest. You shouldn't be able to miss it''

''And the rules?'' Zaphara asked.

''There are only a few. The first rule, never provoke Vilemaw into attacking anyone. The beast is contained by Elise due to her nature, but the beast is still a monstrosity that needs to be contained, and she knows that. Second rule, You may not disturb the tree in the center of the forest. It is guarded by a twisted treant, Maokai, he is the only one that is not binded by these rules. But he leaves us alone for the time being. However, do not provoke him. Third rule, There is a special order at which we work. The collector of souls, Thresh. The souls are his. Then there is Yorick, who collects the corpses and Karthus, who gets the remains of the ghouls for whatever he is planning'' Zaphara nodded, indicating that she understood. ''If you want part in any of that you should talk to Morde. He is the one that made up the rules'' Again she nodded.

''And lastly, the most important rule'' he stopped in his tracks, looking at the woman with narrowed eyes. ''Never hurt or kill any of the residents on the Isles. It will result in a banishing from all of us'' He said lowly. Zaphara wanted to gulp at the threat lingering behind those words. ''This rule goes against our nature, but we managed to co-exist with each other for millenia. Killing someone will only result in a disturbance'' he mumbled.

There she had her answer. Now she knew why Thresh did not take her soul. It was because he knew he would get in trouble if he would, breaking the rules and resulting in banishing. She never thought he'd be afraid of such a thing, but something about the consequences must be horrible. 

Emerged in her thoughts she was no longer paying attention, not even when Hecarim started talking once more, going on about the league and it's happenings, and how he saw her game. She was so distracted that she did not notice the high uprooted root that stood before her. She let out a loud yelp as she tripped over it, her face landing right in the mud. Hecarim bursted out in howls of laughter at the sight. With a growl she stood up, wiping away the the dirt that clung to her face. ''Yes, very funny'' she mumbled.

Slowly stopping his chuckles he asked her a question. ''I was wondering where you were living on the isles'' She looked up at him. What would he say? Not that she really cared. ''I live in the mansion that belongs to Thresh, he was the first one that found me when I first got here'' she said, not showing any emotion. The horseman's eyebrow slowly raised up in question. He did not know his friend would allow someone like that into his mansion. He would have to interrogate him later. ''Very well. Is that all you wished to know, maiden?'' he asked. 

The woman shook her head. ''Thank you for your time, Shadow of war'' The man nodded politely, not being able to help reflecting her formality. ''Until we meet again, Imprisoner. Be it on the Isles or on the rift'' and with that he took off with incredible speed.

Now having gotten what she came for she decided to return to the mansion, where she would spend the remainder of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

Confusion was a foreign feeling to the woman. She has always been someone that knew what she was doing and made sure everything went according to plan. However, ever since she has come to the isles it had been the exact opposite. Confusion seemed to be the main thing she was experiencing. It might have been because she was constantly around the chain warden, who was shrouded in mystery. There were just so many questions about this man that remained unanswered, and he seemed unwilling to answer them.

This only confused her more, but also made her curious. What was it about him that attracted her so? Of course, she wanted to be rid of her soul and the memories that came with it. She wanted to discard them, leaving them forgotten so she could start a new life of death and corruption. But there was something else. Another purpose that drew her to him. He was so interesting. Everything he did intrigued her. He was so... fascinating.

So many things have happened since she got there, and it had only been a week at max. Of course she has yet to meet the other residents of the isles, but that was not what interested her at that moment.

Right now she was walking around the forest, lost in her thoughts. The usual sounds of the forest, owls hooting, crickets, the bubbling of the water and occasional screams in the distance, could be heard as she walked, but she could not comprehend the sounds. She was simply moving forward, subconsciously gliding over the upturned roots and puddles. It was as if she knew the forest like her back pocket, which would be a impressive feat as she had only arrived a week ago.

It was not until she heard the familiar sounds of chains that she came out of her trance. She raised her head to look ahead only to see the chain warden himself standing in the distance. It seemed he had not noticed her yet, for he was busy with the souls around him. There were several green orbs floating around him, obviously being the souls he has caught. But something was different. These did not emit screams or moans. These just let out a soft, almost content chirp every time they floated around him. As Thresh outstretched his hand one of the orbs flew into it, circling it.

Thresh looked down at it with a ... a gentle expression? She could not believe her eyes. He had such a content and calm look on his face, she would even almost call it loving. The orb circled his hand, letting out the content purrs and chirps as it did. Thresh's armored finger gently caressed the soul as if scratching it. Finally, the soul emitted a sound that could be described as a ghostly bark.  
That was when the orb became bigger. It sprouted limbs, and it continued growing until it took on the form of a dog. But not a normal one, this looked like it was the corpse of a canine. It howled in the air as Thresh pointed in one direction, the dog soon taking off in a flurry of limbs and vicious barks.

The other orbs floated around the warden's form restlessly, occasionally letting out a soft whine as if to ask him something. But Thresh simply swatted them away gently, ignoring their pleas. Thresh turned towards her. His face still in the content form it had minutes ago.  
But what was that? There was something on his coat. She narrowed her eyes to try and see it better. They were words. no... symbols. There were soft green glowing symbols all over his coat. How hasn't she noticed them before?

''You know, if you hide in those bushes you might be taken for a stalker''

His voice bounced from the trees. For a second, Zaphara could not help but hold in her breath. She had been caught staring, while she didn't even mean to stare in the first place. She hoped that he did not mean her, but after a long awkward silence she knew it was obvious. With a sigh she came out from her 'hiding spot', walking out into the open.

''You know I merely stumbled upon you and could not help but be mesmerized by your... pets'' she said, not sure what to call the creatures. The warden looked at the souls that floated beside him, the loving expression having long since disappeared. ''They are my trackers. They track the undead and their souls for me. Dogs have the best noses you see'' he explained. Zaphara nodded, feeling as if she were a child that was being taught some common knowledge.

She could not help herself. Her eyes automatically raced over his coat, trying to find the symbols that she had seen previously. She could no longer see them. Had she been imagining it? Could it all have been a illusion? Her eyes fell on a spot near his shoulder. It was dark, but if she tried her best, she could see a symbol within it. It was barely there, but her keen eyes managed to see it.

''What is that?'' she found herself asking before she realised it. She reached a hand to touch it, her curiosity getting the better of her but her action was halted when a gloved hand grabbed her wrist almost painfully. ''That is none of your concern'' Thresh said in a low hissing voice that just oozed danger. A shiver ran up her spine as she looked at his face, the green flames giving him an ominous look.

He softened his grip, but did not let go. once again his eyes fell on her chest, her soul, which was for some reason swirling violently. Her breathing became raspy as she could feel his gaze linger on it. She could almost feel his desire to take it. Bring it with him inside his lantern, and do unspeakable things to it. He was a keeper of souls, so it was his natural instinct to take every soul he could.

''Thresh'' she breathed.

''Take it''


	8. Chapter 8

He looked at her with disbelief. Did she just ask what he thinks she did? His mind must have been playing tricks on him. There is no way she would allow him to take her soul, her essence. He looked at her soul once more, which was floating around in her chest. He had to admit it was unlike any soul he has seen before. This one was a slightly brighter shade of green, almost neon, and instead of being a calm clear orb it looked like it leaked it's essence. Like the fire that swirled around himself.

It was unique.

This is what drew him so much to her. It was new, something he had never seen before, and he wanted it. He craved for it. He could just feel the joy and happiness radiating off of it, but also a very deep sadness and also seething rage. This made him wonder. How did she become undead in the first place?

But that thought was put to rest when she moved closer. He was still gripping her wrist, and somehow he was unable to let go. ''Take it'' she breathed again. Their bodies were now only inches apart. He looked down at her much smaller frame, seeing an emotion in her eyes that was very familiar to him. She was begging him. Begging him to take it. But he could not... right?

''Is that really what you want?'' He found himself asking. She nodded slowly in response. Thresh seemed to swallow. There was a tension in the air that even he could not ignore. While most of the time he was happy when such a thing was in the air, what bothered him was that this time he was the one that got the chills. And he absolutely loved it. Nobody has ever made him feel that way before. So tense, so alert, so nice. Feelings he hasn't felt for a very long time. He would even go as far as to say that he felt alive.

He could see her swallow, a sign of uncertainty and this instantly made the nice feelings fade away. She was hesitating. She was not sure. He knew that if he were to take her soul, but she regret it later, he would be the one that would be punished. They would all blame him, even her.  
''Tell me, why is it that you want to lose your soul?'' he asked, a tone of compassion in his voice. Not many got to see this side of Thresh. Only the ones that were closest to him, such as Hecarim and Yorick. They told him it makes him look... human for a change

She looked down at her feet. They were still extremely close, so it made her look upon his chest instead. She gave a deep sigh. ''I want to lose the memories that come with it. They torture me. Mock me. Taunt me. They are making me go insane''.

There was a long moment of silence between the two as the warden mulled over her explanation. It was because of this that he did not notice her leaning forward until her head rested fully on his chest, her cheek pressed against his cloak. He felt her hands snake over his hips until she wrapped her arms around his torso as far as she could. She gave a deep content sigh, feeling warm.

He was obviously surprised by this gesture. For a minute he did nothing, but then he lifted his left arm and placed it on top of her head, as if petting her. ''If you are really sure about this meet me in the dungeons tomorrow. I need to prepare a few things'' he whispered softly. He could feel her nodding against his chest, a sensation he found himself horribly enjoying. What was she doing to him?

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After having heard that he accepted her request. Finally she had found someone that could rid her of this torture, allow her to be free. She had to admit, she never would have guessed that she was able to convince him so quickly after she found out it would pretty much hurt her and give him punishment. She thought it would take weeks, months even to convince him. Then again, he was the keeper of souls, maybe the sight of such a soul unclaimed laying before him made him want to take it.

She recalled the moment when she asked him. She couldn't help it, it just slipped out of her mouth before she realized it, and after that she just went along with it. She remembered how she had to boldly embraced him as if he were a lover, burying her head in his chest. His chest had been warm against her cheek, heating up the already hot skin as it made contact. And she recalled hearing something. A soft throbbing. Not as soft as a heartbeat. It was more sinister, like a low drum. More questions had popped into her head then, but at that moment she just wanted to revel in the feeling of him being so close.

She had to admit, his shroud of mystery was appealing her. It made her so curious and eager to find out. Some would say it was even a form of attraction.

Scratch that, she was clearly attracted to him. The blushing and loss of words when he entered the room or touched her was proof enough of that. But she knew she didn't have a chance. He is undead, and unlike her, his soul had already been deeply corrupted to the point where it could no longer heal. It could not feel, not love or even hold dearly. It was impossible.

Now that she was actually presented with the idea of her soul being gone, it slightly unnerved her. She knew that this was what she wanted, but she didn't know what it would be like after. She knew she would not die or become lifeless, but would she be the same after the extraction? Would it hurt? Would she be rendered unconscious for who knows how long?  
After the extraction Thresh would know everything about her past life. There would be no secrets. He would know everything if he wished it. It would only take a whim of his hand.

No, she should not think this way. There was no reason to be worried. There would be no pain and Thresh would (hopefully) not use her memories against her. That is what she had to believe. She took a deep breath as she placed her hand on the large oaken doors. She realized that they were slightly rotten at the corners, and they somewhat smelled. A welcome appearance.  
''meet me at the dungeons tomorrow. I need to prepare a few things''

That's what he said the day before. It was now time. She had taken a quick morning walk to clear her head of any nervousness that still lingered in her mind. She had rose from her bed a few hours before the spectre started his usual routine, so she had enough time. Now however, was the time he would go down into the dungeons.

She took in a deep breath before she opened the large double doors and let herself in, swiftly turning to go down the stairs that led to the dungeon. Judging by the lack of screams Thresh had not yet begun his session. He might still be preparing for the extraction.  
Was it really that complicated to extract a soul? She thought he did it many times before. Then again, she had heard that most of his patients had no longer been... living.

She turned the corner and was met with the familiar sight of the torture chamber. The dark chamber was lit by the light of Thresh's lantern, but said spectre was nowhere to be seen. She slowly walked closer to the ominous light, reaching a hand over to try and touch it. As soon as her hand touched the glass a loud scream erupted from it. She saw a tiny face in the lantern, contorted in pain and fear.  
''are you ready?''

She spun around in shock only to see Thresh leaning against the doorway. Had he seen what she had done? She swallowed and nodded slowly. ''I will ask you one more time'' he said, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards her, his gaze neutral like always. Again she nodded, not knowing what to say. ''In that case, lay down on that table over there'' he said, pointing towards a metal table with some blankets laid over it. She walked over to it and laid down.

Thresh walked over to the side and placed his lantern beside her head. ''Close your eyes'' he ordered. She did as she was told. She could feel pressure on her chest, like a hand placed on top of it in the middle of her torso. Her breathing became a little more ragged as she waited for it. It felt like ages had passed and she started to fidget, uncomfortable that she did not know what he was doing. It was completely silent, but the pressure remained. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she felt a sharp pain in her chest as 5 daggers were stabbed through it.  
She screamed out, her eyes flying open but she could not see anything. Everything was a blur, and it only took a few seconds for her to fall unconscious.

\-------------------------------------------------------------  
When she opened her eyes she was in a dark area. She could not see any walls, as if she were just standing in nothingness. There was nothing to indicate any form of life. Not up, not down, not in the distance. She spun around to find anything she recognized. She was starting to panic. Where was she? Had Thresh killed her? He wouldn't, would he? Maybe he made a mistake.  
"Zapphy'' Her eyes widened. She recognized that nickname. She spun around slowly, not wanting to see the one the voice belonged to. Anyone but him.

But of course it was true. Now standing in front of her was a middle-aged man, dressed in a white button up shirt with a grey jacket and black pants. He had short black hair and a well-kept goatee on his chin. He was, to say the least, a handsome fellow.

''Tres'' she said softly as if she did not believe he was there. ''How about we go home? It has been a long party'' He said, an extremely fake smile appearing on his lips. He stretched out his hand to her. ''Let's go''

''NO!'' she screamed at him, a very high pitched yell that came from her throat. She was distressed. She did not know what to do. She knew what would happen if she were to take his hand.

Suddenly the image of him faded and was replaced by a room. There was a closet, a bed, a dressoir and a mirror on the wall. Looking at the bed she gasped loudly. She saw herself, fast asleep, on the bed. She could hear a door open and turned around to see the same man from before walk inside with that same fake smile on his face.

This was a memory. A memory from her past. She smiled softly to herself as she saw Tres lean down and place a kiss on her image's forehead. But then he pulled something from his back. It was as if she had completely forgotten what he was about to do. the real her gasped loudly and jumped forward as soon as she saw the knife. ''NO! please don't!'' she yelled at him, but he could not hear her. He was a memory after all. A event in the past.

''Sweet dreams'' he whispered cruelly, a psychotic look crossing his face before he brought the knife down. The image of her gasped loudly as her chest was pierced. She looked up at the face of her husband, now splattered with blood. ''Slept well, Sweetie?'' he asked sarcastically. Her image could only gurgle, blood forming in her throat.

He pulled back once more and plunged the knife into her chest again. He did this several times, until he was sure that his wife was dead. ''You murderer! abomination! I hope you burn in the fiery pits of hell!'' The real Zaphara screamed at the image. she wanted to beat him, strangle him, make him suffer like she was, but her arms just kept passing through him. Finally the image faded, and she slumped down onto her knees.  
Had she been able to she would be shedding tears endlessly.

This was her curse. The memories of her death. How she was betrayed by the one she loved most. It hurt. It hurt so much more than any normal death. To be betrayed by the one you thought you could trust. She was dead, but her brain and soul were still intact which was the cause of her suffering. She remembered everything clearly, so vividly that she could tell you every single detail.

Her form was shaking from stress, the occasional pathetic whimper was heard from her. She was glad that nobody saw her like this, crumbled on the floor pathetically. Her memories are her weakness. She knew that most undead didn't know about their past life, when they were still living. Only those half-undead like her knew about them. For a second she wondered if Thresh knew his own past, but she knew better than to ask.

She had her arms wrapped around herself when the image turned once again. This time it showed a forest, in front of her being a pile of recently upturned earth with a few touches of grass here and there. A lone traveler walked by, a staff in hand and a purple robe around his form. He placed the staff in front of the pile with a loud thud, and started chanting.

The pile of dirt started slightly glowing before it moved. It looked like something was trying to to the surface of the earth, digging through the loose sand. Finally a hand popped out of the earth. A unearthly groan could be heard as a body slowly emerged from the ground, dirty, clothing ripped and all of its bones shaped in inhumane ways. It looked like it's bones were broken, but it's skin remained surprisingly intact.  
The sound of bones breaking filled the air as the limbs seemed to reconstruct themselves. The unearthly creature looked at the human before it with a look of pure loathing. ''I have awakened you. you shall serve me now'' he said.

Little did the man know, this creature had only died recently. Its soul had not yet departed and so it's rage was still very, very fresh. The creature raised a hand forward, bones shooting out from its arms to penetrate the man's torso, making him cough up blood before falling to the floor. ''I am my own master'' the creature mumbled before stumbling away.

Zaphara gasped, recalling the memory like it was yesterday. She did not know why the necromancer had chosen to revive her, but it had been her downfall. She knew she had taken her revenge on her husband after that, killing him in cold blood before leaving to try and find out another purpose for living. She knew then that everything had changed, but she didn't mind.

To her surprise she could actually feel a wetness on her cheek. She touched the now hot skin to find there was water on it. She didn't know she could cry...

Then suddenly she felt a pressure on her shoulder. She looked at it only to see a black gauntlet placed on it. She slowly looked behind her, only to see the warden himself. Zaphara gasped in shock and immediately stood up from her spot on the floor. She hastily wiped her eyes, not wanting to let him see that she had actually been crying.

''T-thresh, what are you doing here?'' she questioned quickly. Damn it. now Thresh had seen her like this and knew how weak she really was. He must think that she's pathetic now, not worth his time. It almost made Zaphara whimper at the thought of another person hating her. She hated how all of her emotions were still human. ''I am sorry I could not control myself'' she mumbled the apology.

The spectre shook his head in disapproval. ''You are just lucky that the real me cannot see this'' he mumbled. She looked up in surprise, silently questioning this new information. Seeing her confused gaze he explained. ''I am merely a hallucination in your mind, a projection that I use for these things, to explain things'' he said. ''I am actually surprised that It took my own form. To be fair, I expected someone else'' he said in a almost snobby tone. After seeing that she still did not understand what he was implying he simply started again. ''This is only a projection of Thresh. The real Thresh cannot hear or see anything that is going on here'' He continued. ''I am simply designed to comfort you until you are ready to go back'' She nodded slowly, somewhat understanding what he was doing here.

But why him, she wondered. Why Thresh. Oh, wait she knew why. So far Thresh was the only one that bothered to take her in so far. He and Hecarim had been the only ones who understood her, mainly because they were undead as well and shared her love for torture (which she had grown when she was betrayed)

Suddenly she could feel arms around her and a familiar sense of warmth that engulfed her like a blanket. She had not realized that Thresh had ventured closer and had now wrapped his arms around her. She stared at his chest with wide eyes, wondering what it was that he was doing. The gesture was welcomed, but this was not what he would do.

Then she remembered. He was an image. A projection. It was not the real him. Would she feel guilty if she were to take advantage of this? Would he know? Probably not. So she allowed herself to take advantage. A guilty pleasure if you will.

Her arms snaked around his hips, entangling her fingers behind him. She felt the heat radiating off of him, not knowing if it would be real or if it were her imagination creating it. She gave a content sigh, feeling the worries slip away from her temporarily. It was amazing how a simple hug would mean so much, especially coming from the undead who only felt limited things.

''Zaphara'' She looked up as her name was called, but she nearly choked when she saw what was before her.

There was no flaming skull in front of her. No green flames circling in the back of his neck. Before her was a normal human face. It was still devoid of emotion, except for his eyes. His skin was incredibly pale, almost white. His face could only be described as perfect. Almond shaped head, perfect angle of his nose, high cheekbones, well defined mouth.

Her eyes scanned him eagerly as she took him in. He merely stared at her as she inspected him, apparently not bothered at all by her rudeness. His hair was white, two braids draped over his shoulders with hooks at the end. He was wearing his normal robe, but it was a lot smaller than she recalled. She also realized that he was incredibly thin and angular, yet she could feel the strong muscles beneath her fingers, slightly flexing occasionally.

But above all, his eyes were the best. They looked at her with indifference, but deep within she could see the swirls of emotion. She could not recognize some of them, but she could see confusion, anger, hatred, kindness. It surprised her to see so much, and even more that she could not identify.

She felt a hand on her cheek and was surprised to realize it felt incredibly warm, despite his pale skin. She realized that he was staring at her with such intensity that it made a shiver run up her spine. What was he thinking? What was he planning? What would be his next move? ''Have you calmed down?'' he asked, obviously not about to explain why this was happening. She nodded slowly.

''Then it is time to wake up'' He said it like... she didn't know how but it send a pleasant shiver up her spine. It sounded like he was implying something else, sounding almost like a purr. She could only stare up at him as he gazed back at her. Was it just her or was he getting closer? It must be her imagination. But then why could she feel his warm breath on her face?

Another shiver shook her whole body, trembling in his arms. She could feel him tighten his grip around her hips, pulling her even closer. She gulped, now absolutely sure that he was leaning in. Something in her mind screamed for her to break free but her body would not listen. It stood frozen as he approached. Finally, when their faces were only an inch away she gave up trying to fight herself. She closed her eyes, waiting for something she didn't know she wanted. Her mouth was slightly open, awaiting the touch.

She could feel the slightest pressure on her lips. It felt so odd. She opened her eyes slowly, only to realize Thresh was no longer in front of her. Instead she saw a dark ceiling. Everything was dark actually, only a slight green glow in the distance proved that she was not in a void of darkness.

She groaned softly as she felt a strain in her back. She rolled her shoulders, realizing she was laying on a table of sorts. She rubbed her face before sitting up, swinging her legs over the side. She rubbed her face fiercely to try and clear the sleepiness. However, in its place she could feel throbbing in her head, indication of the start of a headache. A big one.

With another groan she willed herself to open her eyes once more. This time a figure stood in the corner. It was completely dark, so she could not see much, but it looked like the figure was wearing spiky armor.

''So you are the female he has brought here'' The voice was metallic, as if it came from within a hollow case of a tin can. That's honestly what he looked like. Zaphara did not know what to do. She didn't even know this man. He did not seem hostile, yet not friendly either. He stepped closer until he was a few feet away from the table she was sitting. It was then that she realized that he was carrying a gigantic mace with him, and as he came to her table he violently swung it on the table, barely missing her form.

''explain'' he demanded dangerously.


	9. Chapter 9

''The least you could have done was warn me'' the disgruntled female walked through the halls, this time leading the way. Her pace was quick, though still not a problem for the spectre to keep up with her. He had a bored expression on his face, softly mumbling to himself. Ever since Mordekaiser had left she had complained to him non-stop about his appearance. She asked who he was, what his task was, his position. But what was worse is that she complained and even accused Thresh for him threatening her existence. Mordekaiser had wanted answers. Who she was and why she had come to the isles. It probably looked like an interrogation.

''He came in unannounced'' Thresh said for the hundredth time. The woman sighed and stopped walking, looking down at the ground. She looked over her shoulder at him and gave a ghost of a smile. ''I was just... caught off guard''. The warden nodded in understanding. ''I wouldn't be surprised. You would have still been disoriented when you came out of your slumber'' he explained, both of them thinking back to the extraction of her soul.

Ah yes, her soul. It was why she was asleep in the first place. It was now residing in his lantern, safe and sound. It was silent, unlike the other souls, and it quite stood out in his lantern. It was also never huddled up with the other souls in the center of his lantern, but rather looking outside as if curious.

With her soul had come memories. Memories that were bound with it. When he had taken it he could see her past play in front of him like a movie. Within seconds he had seen 20 years of her life. He had expected a horrible past, something that would haunt someone forever. She had been haunted by guilt, betrayal, but surprisingly also happiness and love. The emotions still lingered on the soul. He had shuddered when he touched it, the raw emotions floating into him momentarily before returning to its rightful owner.

The woman nodded slowly. ''Yes. I must thank you. You really helped me lose a heavy burden'' Thresh only acknowledged the apology with a nod. ''It was benefitting me as well'' he admitted. He saw her frame start to shake a little, and her eyes darted from side to side.''yeah... well I - oh'' In a wave of dizziness and nausea she fell through her knees. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, panting heavily and sweat starting to form on her forehead. She was hot all of a sudden. It felt like she had suddenly caught a fever. She was gripping the ground, trying to hold herself up before she would fall to the ground. But she didn't know what was up and what was down. Then she felt arms around her.

Thresh, having seen her sudden condition had come to her aid. He had expected this, but not this late. He would have expected this to happen as soon as she would wake up. Then again, the adrenaline she had gotten from being threatened by Mordekaiser might have suppressed the effects of the extraction. An overwhelming sense of worry washed over him as he looked at her condition. Her condition was way worse than he was expecting. Her body was taking the change hard, and was trying to fix it but instead it put her into heavy stress.

''I will take you to your room'' he said to her, but he doubted she'd be able to comprehend what exactly he was saying. It must have sounded like incoherent murmurs to her. He looped an arm under her knees and one around her shoulders before lifting her up. He held her to his chest as he carried her to the room he presumed she had rested in during her stay.

He placed her on the bed when he arrived, looking her over to try and determine what he should do. So far the panting had stopped, but the fever was still going as well as the heavy sweating. He knew she needed to be taken care of.

He went around the mansion, gathering the things that he needed. Once he had everything gathered he went over to her. He placed a wet cloth on her forehead and tucked her in with blankets. It was odd, seeing someone he considered undead in such a... humane condition. The undead did not get sick, but somehow this woman seemed more alive than anyone else. This could both be considered a good thing and a bad thing.  
But that was not what bothered him. What bothered him most was that he now got her soul, but he still had that pull. That... desire that pulled him towards her. He wanted something of her, but he didn't know what. He looked down at his lantern, which sat by his side. He stared at it, thinking, wondering.

He was snapped out of his trance when he heard a low groan. He looked at her. Her breathing had calmed down. She was still sweating and there was some movement in her limbs, but other than that she seemed to be fine. The only thing that seemed off was the deep frown that was shown on her face. It was not one of pain, but one of discomfort.

He stepped close to her bed. Gazing down at her face. For some reason unknown, even to him, he reached forward and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, his finger lingering behind her ear. A sigh escaped her as he did so. ''This has to stop...'' he mumbled to himself. He turned away from her and intended to walk out of the room, but something stopped him.

He turned around to see a hand on his cloak, holding it firmly. The runes on his cloak protested by glowing brightly. Looking at the woman on the bed he saw that her eyes were slightly open. She did not seem to have the power to say anything, only look at him pleadingly. Thresh sighed almost in frustration. ''I have some things to take care of. I will be back soon'' he promised. She seemed to be satisfied with the answer, for she let go of his cloak.  
Back on his path he left the room, and after that the mansion. He had some souls to harvest. Something to keep him distracted from his thoughts, which lately seemed to have only her in them

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Once again she woke up, but this time on a warm bed with at least three blankets to cover her. She was feeling hot, but not as hot as she had been before. She couldn't remember much from when she collapsed, only that she was hot the entire time and movement around her. She had already guessed it was just one of the side effects of the extraction. As a undead she did not become sick easily after all.

She blinked her eyes open, finding it easy to adjust to the light due to the lack thereof. It was dark in the room, the usual green light being the only light in the room. She looked around, almost expecting a armor clad man with a giant mace to jump forward and ask questions. Luckily that was not her wake-up call this time. Instead she was greeted with the sight of Thresh, who was sitting in the corner of the room. His lantern, instead of floating, now sat on the floor of the room. The flames that came from his neck were calm, not like usual. His position was also a little slouched, not upright.

She guessed he was resting, a half sleep like trance that the undead used to recover from any fatigue or exhaustion. She had never seen Thresh rest, so it was quite fascinating for her to see.

Curiosity took over as she found her hands start to remove the heavy blankets from around her. Ever so silently she got up from the bed and cautiously made her way over to him. She didn't know if he was a heavy rester, so it was very risky to do this. When she was close she knelt in front of him, observing his face. There were no green eyes like usual, they were closed, pressed together. She gulped slightly as she wanted to see.

She wanted to see if what she saw in her 'dream' was true. If he truly was a human instead of the spectral appearance he now had. There was so much she didn't know about him. She wanted to uncover the mysteries that shroud him. She wanted him to tell her, but he would always leave her with vague answers or none at all. It was what frustrated her. No, He frustrated her.

It was because... she didn't want him to be human. Or more like she didn't want him to have to hide himself. She would feel like he had tricked her, deceived her. It would make her feel betrayed even.

Her hands moved on their own accord. Maybe his appearance was just an illusion, something to trick all of them. something to make them believe he was a true undead... Her hands moved to the side of his face, all reason and caution leaving her. One more gulp. Her hand moved to touch his bony cheek and she could feel...

bone.

It was still bone. No soft flesh. Only the feeling of bone beneath her fingers and the warmth of his flames. She smiled softly, a relieved sigh escaping her. So he wasn't a human. He was a undead just like she suspected. This was one worry less.

But she forgot one thing. Fear struck her heart as she looked into the wide and fiery green eyes of the warden. She could not see any emotion due to the lack of facial features, but she figured he was angry judging from his stare. The flames from his neck roared up, and she could see a tinge of red in them from the corner of her eyes. He must be seething.

Neither of them said anything, they just looked at each other. Blood rushed to Zaphara's cheeks from frustration and embarrassment and also a hint of fear. Fear of what he would do to her now that he found out she had been... invading his privacy.

''I-I was just wondering...'' she mumbled, trying to break the tension that was threatening to choke her. As soon as she spoke his eyes went to their normal width, and the red streaks in his flames lessened. ''While I was unconscious after the extraction... I saw something...'' She didn't know if she should speak the words, but she knew he would want an explanation for her actions.

''I saw you...'' she said, looking away from him. It was obvious she hadn't finished that sentence, judging by the way she dragged on. She couldn't handle the stare he was giving her. She could almost feel the confusion radiating off of him. ''Continue'' he said calmly. She took a gulp. Here goes nothing. ''I saw you... as a human''

Again his eyes changed. She closed her eyes, afraid of his reaction. Would he dismiss her? Punish her for her curiosity? No, she wouldn't even allow it. She was undead and she was strong. She would be able to get away from him if she wanted.

''That still does not explain why you are sitting on my lap and touching my face''

Her whole 'acting tough' act crumbled into tiny little pieces when she realized that she was indeed straddling on his lap. She wanted to scramble off of him out of sheer embarrassment, but two hands on her hips stopped her from doing so. The hands dug into her side, just inches away from piercing her skin with its sharp claws. Looking back at his face she could faintly see an amused smile in his features. She did not dare comment on his actions, and secretly... she didn't mind it.

''I wanted to see if it were true...'' The smile faded from his face, leaving a neutral look. Oh how she hated that she couldn't see what he was thinking. He just... stared at her. It made a shiver run up her spine. The silence continued on for ages. She started to fidget in his lap, not knowing what to do or where to look at.

For the first time in ages, Thresh was at a loss of words. He didn't know what to say or do. his first instinct was to threaten her for asking such a ridiculous question, but a second voice told him it was merely curiosity that should not be punished, but rather rewarded. But that would be ridiculous. He never rewarded anyone and he wasn't about to start now. This woman was making him soft but he wouldn't dare admit it. Why was she having this affect on him? Why was it that she could make him be lost deep in thought about a million things. Why did he always try to predict her next move? Why did he like to embarrass her so, instead of torturing. When had this started? He knew this was starting to get out of hand. He had told this himself before, but he never did anything about it. Now however, he knew how to do it. He would turn this into a game. A game to enjoy himself with selfishly. Something to keep the last sliver of sanity.

''Could you at least tell me if I am wrong or not?!'' she finally exclaimed in frustration. Thresh looked at her, a hint of surprise on his face. He had been so deep in thought that he did not realize she was expecting a answer.

''There are a few things you will need to know about me while you live here'' he started, sounding like a father trying to teach his child a life lesson. ''First, you never invade my personal space again without facing the consequences''. The fearful shudder surfaced again upon hearing those words. They held a promise. Oh how Thresh loved to see that he could get a reaction like that. ''Second, that dream was a situation specially designed to make you calm down. An image that would take on anyone's form and do anything that the person wants''

was he making her embarrassed on purpose? She could hear a quiet chuckle coming from him as he saw the blush creep up on her cheeks. ''So basically... you just said you want me to be human'' Her eyes slightly widened. ''NO! no! I mean...'' she cleared her throat. ''I-I mean I just wondered if you were or that I was just being delusional... I mean. I wouldn't be surprised after you actually k-'' she stopped herself before she could say anything else. ''What I mean to say is I just want to know if you are or not''

She could almost see a glint in his eyes, and she was scared to see it had a mischievous look.

''Tell me. What did I do in order to calm you down?'' he asked, speaking lowly and softly... daringly. Zaphara's eyes widened slightly, not knowing how to react to it. Yes, Thresh was already starting to turn it into a game, and he was starting to enjoy it already. He leaned in closer to her face, still holding her in place by her hips. She backed farther away the closer he got, her embarrassment getting the better of her. The combined sensation of the memory of him almost kissing her and his proximity was overwhelming her mind, causing it to go blank.

''Y-you spoke to me...'' she mumbled, not wanting to admit the embarrassing thoughts that roamed her mind. Thresh however didn't buy it. ''Aaaaand?'' he pressed. The woman gulped again, knowing he wouldn't stop until he would get a answer that satisfied him. ''You hugged me...'' she continued, her blush deepening.

It was obvious that the chain warden wasn't buying it, for he narrowed his eyes at her and searched her eyes, looking for the real answer... as if the blush didn't tell enough. She wanted to try and distract him, not wanting to endure this torture any longer. ''Y-you never answered my question...'' she managed to blurt out. Thresh looked at her questioningly before realization crossed his face.

''well wouldn't you like to find out'' He loved her curiosity and how he was able to use it against her. It gave her that look on her face, that stubbornly determined look. It made a desire rise up in his body. A desire to tease her, torture her even.

As he said those words a fire ignited in her eyes. A sudden ferocity overtook her as she grabbed two handfulls of his cloak, bringing him closer to her face. The runes on his cloak hummed with energy as it was tugged and for a moment she saw something flicker across his form, something white. ''Listen here...'' she said darkly. ''You obviously know something that I want to be let in on. I have a right to know. Now either you tell me or I will find out myself'' He didn't like her tone. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, this time not the teasing or searching kind, but the suspicious and angry.

A deep chuckle escaped his throat. The metal gauntlets encircled her wrists, gripping them tight enough for her to wince at the pain he was causing her. ''You have no right to know whatsoever. You have no right to know anything about me. You only came here two weeks ago and yet you act like you've lived here for years. Do you not think there is something wrong with that?'' he said, his words oozing with danger.

Zaphara was perplexed. Did he really think that way? Did she really act like that? ''I might have taken your soul and did you a favor, but it was for my own benefit as well'' She growled at his words. ''I know that you only did it because you wanted to have it. I have seen the way you looked at it ever since we met. But I know that already, and right now it is not what I want to know!'' she told him, trying to sound calmer than she actually was. If she were to yell or growl at him she would get nowhere.

Thresh studied her for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he took a deep breath. ''very well. If you so wish'' he said. He shifted his form, his hands leaving her hips to instead settle on her hands that still gripped his cloak. Upon touching her hands he felt her relax, allowing him to pry her hands off of him. When she finally released him he ordered her to close her eyes. She heard a soft humming, gradually becoming louder until it was like someone was humming directly in her ear. ''It is true'' Thresh said, but his voice sounded different... less echo in his tone. She slowly opened her eyes, and for a second she thought she was dreaming again. She now sat on the lap of a human, looking exactly like when she first saw him in her dream. His long white hair was still in braids, with the sharp hooks at the end. His face was neutral as he observed her reaction, wondering what she would do.

''But... how?'' she finally managed to say. ''This cloak is laced with runes. Runes that allow me to change my appearance into that of a spectre, the one you know me as. They are both me, this body is just my old one, from when I was alive'' he explained. She could tell it was his old body, for she saw a few stitches here and there, especially by the neck area. It looked like it had been cut off at least once. ''While this one is the form I took after I passed''

So it was both him. Technically he wouldn't be hiding anything then, but she still felt uneasy. ''why?'' ''I use this form for a few other purposes, like blending into a crowd'' She shook her head defiantly. ''I just don't get why you would hide it from me'' Thresh rolled his eyes, wondering why he was even explaining himself to this woman. ''There was never any reason for me to show it to you. I never felt the need to either'' he said, a bored tone evident in his voice.

She sighed and rubbed her temples, getting up from his lap and turning away from him. ''Though if I knew that this form would be able to calm you down I would have used it a lot sooner'' he said, his smooth voice almost like a purr in her ear. How had he gotten this close in such a short time? His slender fingers moved a strand of hair behind her ear, causing her to shiver. His touch was so cold, even colder than her own abnormal temperature. She could feel his cold breath on her neck, causing another pleasant shiver to run up her spine.

''hmmm so smooth'' he said as his fingers trailed from her ear to her jaw line and to her neck. She could not help but slightly lean into his touch, finding it surprisingly pleasant. She felt a soft pressure on the side of her neck. Looking to her side she could only look into the deep silver eyes of the man that stood behind her. ''Rest some more. Your body needs to be strong when we go back to the institute'' he said.

She had almost forgotten that they were supposed to go back to the institute tomorrow. The institute had bound her to a contract, saying that she would be at the institute for 5 days from 8 till 6. She could do anything in the meantime.

She watched as Thresh turned to leave. Just before he left through the door she could see his image sway like a ghost, before the ghostly green flames and bony skull reappeared. He then turned the corner, leaving her to mull over her thoughts. With a sigh she slumped back on the bed. She wondered if she would be able to get any rest now considering what happened. She knew she would be plague with questions once more. She also knew that it would be take incredibly long to get rid of them, what with the warden's tendency to keep answers from her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People say I envision Thresh perfectly, but it is extremely hard to add romance to this story. I’ve been thinking about it so much and so far I only managed to think he’d only act out of pure lust and loss of control. After all he’s not going to be very affectionate unless he is like extremely deep into a relationship, which is not what I see happening. But anyway, I hope I envisioned him well and put some nice ‘romantic’ action in there. I’m open to feedback since I do not have many ideas on how to make Thresh or Zaphara show affection. I do have ideas for the story itself however. For example I’m thinking of a few shadow isles related champions in this story soon and definitely some lore based happenings. You will all see that soon.
> 
> Anyway onto the story. Hope you enjoy it!

The figure was panting heavily as it rushed through the woods. It darted over roots, fallen trees and jumped through bushes as it made its way to the other side of the forest. Every time the figure jumped on a root the root was split in half by some unknown force. Trees were scraped by something sharp, leaving a hole in them. The bushes rustled loudly as something chased the figure. It was desperately trying to escape, sweat covering its entire body. It could feel the strain of stress in its muscles. It was starting to think it would not survive this chase.

Its pursuer was none other than Thresh, the chain warden. above the figure hovered an hp bar, which had less than one bar left. She was below 100 health, and so Thresh knew he would be able to kill her with one hit. His prey was none other than Lulu, the enemy support. thresh, although rarely lately, was the ADC of his team, and he had gotten quite a few kills he could call his own work, along with a lantern full of souls he collected from the enemies he had slain. If you thought that he was scary as a support, people would pee their pants when they would see him as a fed marksman.

He thrust his scythe forward once again, seeing it go in a straight line towards his target. He laughed maniacally as he waited for it to hit, awaiting a new fresh soul.

The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard as his scythe was hit by another, entangling them. He followed the chain to the original owner, finding the last person he wanted to face.

The chain was attached to her palm, where she held it in place. She was looking at him with a glare, though both of them knew it was only half-hearted. The small yordle took the opportunity and bolted through the forest until she was safely in her team's base. Zaphara untangled her scythe from Thresh's and retracted it back into her hand.

The two enemies never let their gaze falter. They stood still, staring at each other for what felt like ages, waiting for the other to make the first move. However, when it didn't come the female became impatient. ''Are we going to do something or what?'' Thresh only seemed to grin. ''No need to rush. There is plenty of TIME'' just as he said the last word he threw his scythe forward, catching her in the leg. His surprise attack had worked, for she yelped as she hit the ground, blood starting to ooze out of her wound.

She didn't even bother covering up the wound, not that she would have any time to do so. Using the scythe as a rope The Chain Warden pulled himself towards the woman, crashing right into her. She let out a grunt as her side flared in pain, dark, almost black blood dripping down onto the ground rapidly. Thresh used the scythe that was still lodged in her leg to keep her in place.

Thresh had a stupid grin on his face, thinking that he had her. However that grin was quickly wiped off his face when something hit him hard in the side of his skull, forcing him to close his eyes to try and regain his vision. When he looked down Zaphara was gone from under him. He let out a growl. ''You have managed to save one soul but you won't be able to save your own!'' he yelled, standing up from his position just in time to block the fist that had come his way. He was surprised to find out it was covered by a hard white shell.  
She started attacking viciously and without mercy. Her fists came down upon him like a barrage, but he managed to dodge or block each one. Her strength had almost tripled with the shell covering her fists, increasing her attack damage immensely. With one attack he could hear his gauntlets crack, a sign that the one-sided fight was wearing down on him.

''Enough'' he said slowly, his voice booming through the clearing. It succeeded in making Zaphara momentarily stop, giving him an opportunity to get her off of her with one crude kick against her stomach. With his scythe he grabbed a hold of her waist, the sharp blade digging into her skin. He let out a grunt as he summoned a spiritual wall in a Pentagon shape.

He pulled her towards him, placing his free hand on her waist and placing his face close to hers. ''My house, my rules'' he whispered menacingly, sending a shiver down Zaphara’s spine. She growled as the blade cut deeper into her side, almost cutting up to the bone. ‘’Let’s have some fun, little kitten’’ he said, his voice almost purring in her ear, succeeding in sending another shiver down her spine, but this one out discomfort. This whole game Thresh wasn’t allowed his fun because the enemy team had always advanced on him, but this time he would have all the time. He had just killed two members of the enemy team and his team had killed the other one. The only one that remained was Lulu, but she was too low and wouldn’t dare to come into the jungle with the enemy team pushing into her base. So Thresh had a lot of time to spend with the Imprisoner. His team would even thank him for distracting her.

It was unusual for Thresh to get so close to his victim, especially the females. They tended to act a lot more extreme to the thought of death and torture, so their hearts would pound out of their chests and their whimpers sounded like music to his ears. But being so close to Zaphara was different somehow. For starters her heart was no longer beating properly and she did not cry when faced with death. She was not like the other female champions, if you could even call her female. This both infuriated and intrigued him. Slowly Thresh started to bury his skull in her neck. The woman started to struggle, but one quick tug on the blade in her waist halted her movements. ‘’Be a good kitten now...’’ he purred in her ear.

Thresh ignored the pleas of his summoner to get it over with, shutting him off completely. Said summoner let out a cry of distress when his orb had completely dimmed, not allowing him to see a thing. The warden took in a deep breath, taking in her scent. It smelled of dirt and blood. He loved it. It made him sigh in content. Zaphara knew Thresh was acting strange. He had seen how he acted with others and he did not get this close to them without making them feel any form of pain. But she did not stop him. She would gladly live a few more seconds to buy more time for her team.

Her mind went blank however when she felt soft lips touch her neck. Her legs started to shake and she started to sag in his hold. A dark chuckle came from deep within the wardens throat and before she knew it she was slammed into the wall, Thresh’s body placed against hers in a cold embrace. It didn’t take long for his lips to be back on her neck, kissing teasingly and even letting his tongue trail over her cold skin. She shivered out of pleasure this time.

Thresh was losing control over himself. He had expected to have some fun with her in the form of torture, but when he noticed her reaction to the softest touch of his lips against her neck something snapped inside of him. He had pushed her to the wall in a act of dominance. He had dropped his scythe to the floor, favoring to press his gauntlet against her wound instead, occasionally squeezing there which earned him a nice whimper of pain. Oh how he loved that sound coming from her. It gave him chills and made him want more. And more he would be getting. Instead of the teasing kisses he had so far placed on her neck he bit down hard on her skin, hard enough to pierce it and let a trickle of blood run by the side of his mouth. At this point his mind was covered in a white fog. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he did know what he wanted. And what he wanted right now is the cause of what he was doing right now.  
In the back of his mind he could hear a odd ringing. It grew steadily louder and more frequent as he licked up the blood on her neck, but he chose to ignore it until it was starting to give him a headache. Stopping with what he was doing he tried to find out what the source was. He lifted the blockade that blocked his thoughts and vision from his summoner. ‘’Thresh get your ass out of there they are coming!’’ his summoner yelled at him. ‘’Our entire team has been killed and the enemy team is now heading for your position fast! You need to get out of there!’’

Deciding that he had enough fun for now he picked up his scythe by the chain. He looked down at the woman in front of him. Her eyes were closed and she was slightly shaking. He wasn’t sure if it was from shock or something else. He eyed the trail of blood that slowly trickled down her neck, feeling a spark of excitement in his chest before he quickly doused it. She simply looked delicious...

He lifted up his scythe to give her the finishing blow before her team would come and get an ace on him. Just before he struck her chest to pierce her non-beating heart he stopped. Something had caught his eye. He stared, completely dumbstruck for the first time in his life. ‘’Impossible...’’ he said lowly. He just stood there, weapon raised, ready to strike, but he could not move. But another yell in his head woke him up. ‘’Thresh watch out!’’ his summoner yelled. Not even a second later a large alligator came barreling towards him, yelling its war cry as it seemed to increase in size greatly. He pushed himself away from the woman, turning to flee, knowing that the enemy team was right behind their ally.

He didn’t even glace back at the woman that was now slumped on the floor, engulfed in a blue light as he made his retreat


	11. Chapter 11

It was cold and dark in the dungeon, just as he liked it. It send shivers up the spines of his victims, a tiny bit of extra torture that he liked to provide. The dungeons were pretty much his home. After all, he spend 95% of his time here when he wasn’t at the institute.

This place was his home and he felt the most confident here, as it should be. It was the place where he could ponder his thoughts without being disturbed. Especially now, with Zaphara out to explore the isles he could do his work without being interrupted. He currently sat on his very own chair in front of his desk. His lantern was hovering closely beside him, silently playing its song of moans and chirps of the souls that were trapped within. In the warden’s hands was a green orb that chirped occasionally. It sat still in his hands, only swaying from side to side occasionally. Thresh was staring intently inside of it, searching for something. He could see what others could not. The memories of the soul. They flashed inside the glowing orb like a movie on fast forward.

‘It has to be somewhere’, he thought to himself. ‘It must have an explanation’. There couldn’t be any other way. He scrolled through the memories until he got to the person’s childhood. The memory projected a playground. The person was currently swinging on a swing, looking around curiously to what was happening around it. Finally its gaze fell on a lone boy that sat on a bench, looking at the children with a loathing expression on his face. The boy had bright blue eyes and black hair. The person’s gaze fell on a woman that was standing by the swing, smiling at her.

‘’Who is that mommy?’’ A small high pitched voice asked. The woman looked at the boy the girl was previously looking at. Upon seeing him she softly frowned. She turned back to the child with an incredibly fake smile, but the girl wouldn’t know any better. ‘’Nobody you should concern yourself with, dear’’.

The memory started swirling as Thresh skipped a part, not entirely interested in the girl. He stopped when he saw a close up of the boy. It seemed the girl had approached him and was now sitting beside him on the bench. ‘’Here you go’’ she said as she extended a small piece of a chocolate bar. ‘’It’s really tasty. It’s my favorite’’ she said as she practically shoved it in his hand. The boy took the piece and took a small bite, nibbling on it slowly. A ghost of a smile passed over his lips and the girl giggled in glee.

Something disturbed the warden upon seeing these memories. The first thing that disturbed him was the kindness of the girl, which he absolutely detested. But the second and foremost was the fact that he felt a pull in his chest. He knew that boy from somewhere. Somewhere in the back of his mind his subconscious was nagging at him, pleading for him to remember, but he could not.

Trying to find more clues he skipped the memories again. He could see flashes of the boy throughout her memories as they were both growing up. Suddenly as he skimmed through the memories he could hear something odd. It was like there was static that was blocking out most of the sound. It was hard to hear anything of the memories that followed. Curiosity made him go back to where the static started. When he saw the image he noticed that it was blurred incredibly and he had to squint his eyes in order not to go dizzy. He could not see much, for it was all blurred together but he could make out two bodies entwined in a tight embrace. They pulled back and stared at each other. He could see their mouths move but could not hear what they were saying. The static was too loud and was overpowering all sound. It was like the owner did not want him to see this memory.

He skipped forward again in the hope that the memories would once again become clear. He stopped when he suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of sadness coming from one particular memory. Nearly the entire image was covered in white except for a few people who added some beige smudges. He could only guess it was some kind of hospital. He could hear them talking but it was hard to make out the words. He could only hear ‘Noxus’, ‘captured’ and ‘dead’. When the person was done talking he could feel an immense sadness coming from the memory and he could hear the owner start to cry. ‘’Redmond...’’ was the last cry he heard.

That nagging feeling in the back of his mind reared up as he heard the name. Thresh flinched and let go of the soul favouring to grasp his head that had suddenly flared up with pain. His flames roared up as it mimicked the pain, roaring around recklessly in his neck. It was like something was trying to force its way to the front of his mind, something that he thought he had long forgotten. He could hear the name over and over again by the same female voice, but it sounded happier. ‘’Redmond. Redmond. Redmond!’’.

Suddenly his eyes sprung wide open and images flashed before them. But these did not belong to the soul. These belonged to himself. Memories he had long since forgotten. Locked away or forgotten by undeath. He felt disgusted to find that his memories were the same ones he had just seen, but from a different perspective. He had always thought these memories were forever lost, but somehow they had crawled back to the front of his mind, painfully so. The images were playing in front of his eyes in fast forward. an embrace, a confession, a kiss, an explosion, screams and then... nothing

He was forced to re-watch the memories he thought he had lost. They made him feel... anger, hatred, fear but above all... remorse. The images slowed. For a moment there was only darkness until he saw a face. ‘’Welcome. How are you feeling?’’ it was an old man. He had a long white beard with a matching mustache. He was bald and had many wrinkles on his face. He was obviously very old. ‘’I’m fine. Just a headache’’ he could hear himself respond. ‘’What happened to me?’’.

The old man frowned slightly. ‘’I found you on the border of the country while I was traveling. You were badly injured so I brought you here to heal. Could you be a survivor from the battle between noxus and demacia?’’ There was a moment of silence when he finally replied. ‘’I don’t know... I can’t remember anything. Not even my name...’’ ‘’That won’t do. What would you like to be called, my son?’’ He could almost hear himself think in the memory as he thought of a name. One name spoke to him. He did not know where it came from. But when it floated through his mind he was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of despair. Scared by this sudden emotion he shut his eyes tightly, willing the feelings to disappear. But then a new voice started speaking. This one was much more enjoyable. Confident, comfortable and reliable. Finally the boy uttered one word. ‘’Thresh’’.

The spectre roared out as he fell out of his chair and onto his knees, still clutching his head and now closing his eyes tightly. He wanted this pain to stop. There were too many memories crashing down upon him and he could not make any sense of it. He could only feel confusion and frustration. His whole body was shaking, only to be stopped when he felt pressure on his shoulder. ‘’Thresh?’’ A voice asked questioningly. He looked up to see the familiar face of Zaphara looking down at him with a worried expression. Unwillingly his mind pictured the face of the girl in his memories upon her own, making her much more alive and happy than her undead and scarred face. Suddenly the feeling of joy filled him. But the feeling was so unfamiliar that his body rejected it violently. Once more he grasped his head tightly in his clawed hands and shook, groaning out in pain and discomfort.

Zaphara worriedly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, not knowing that her comfort was the last thing he wanted right now, but just the thing he needed. After a few moments his quivering stopped. His flames that had roared up during his attack started to calm down slowly. When he thought he finally regained his senses he swatted away the hands that were around him, wishing they would spontaneously catch aflame. He stood up on his own two feet, glaring down at the woman. ‘’I thought you were out?’’ he said more menacingly than he meant to. But Zaphara did not flinch at his tone. ‘’It has been several hours since I’ve been gone. I just got back when I heard screaming’’ again she looked at him with worry. ‘’are you all right?’’. If Thresh had a proper face it would turn up in mild surprise. He could never get used to her display of emotions. It was unnatural for a creature of undead like themselves. Again her face flashed with the image of the woman from his memories. Another headache flared in his head. He grasped it momentarily, clamping his mouth shut.

Her hand was instantly on his head to comfort him, but instead of swatting it away like last time he gently pushed it away. ‘’I’m fine. Just a headache’’ he said. He could see her face scrunch up in thought, showing that she knew that he should not be able to have ‘just headaches’, but she did not push it, which he was thankful for. Thankful... another emotion he was unfamiliar with. Thresh turned around to look at his desk where the soul still floated. The soul had grown dimmer since the start of his examination, which surprised him. But what surprised him even more was the fact that it had not tried to escape. It would have been the perfect opportunity, yet it still stayed there. He took it up in his hand and placed it inside his lantern without a second glance.

He turned back to the woman who had tried to glance around him to see what he was doing. He frowned down at her. For a few moments there was an awkward silence between the two. Thresh could feel his eyes wander up and down her frame. It was only then that he noticed that, for a undead human, she was quite attractive. Her cheeks were angular and there was a tiny hint of red on them. Her chin was perfect. Her neck was slender and her collarbone stood out on the dress she currently wore. The dress also gave him a full frontal view of her generous chest. She was lucky to have such a sustained body after death. Had he still been alive he would find her genuinely attractive. He quickly shook his head to not let his mind wander to places it has not been ever since his death. It confused him to have all these thoughts again and it even slightly scared him. ‘’You should go’’ He said strained, as if he was struggling to control his temper.

Zaphara knew when she was not wanted in the presence of the chain warden and so she smartly turned around and left the chamber. He could hear the faint clicking of her shoes on the stones before they faded into silence.

He placed both his hands on his desk and leaned on them, thinking once again. He could not find the answer he was looking for but one question was finally answered. One he has asked himself ever since he woke up that one day. What happened to him. The memories still swirled in his head and made it ache. He rubbed a hand over his bony face and sighed. He had noticed that the memories awakened even more feelings in him than Zaphara alone had and it made him furious. He growled loudly before he slammed his fist into his desk, cracking the wood considerably, almost breaking it. He knew this was going to be a long day full of torture. He just wondered who would be tortured. His victims.

Or him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Redmond was not his name when he was alive, but I had to give him something that made him recognize it was him in the memories. If you didn’t like the name do not worry. You won’t see it appear too often. Maybe once or twice. I might have twisted his real backstory a bit (the new one at least), but only the bits I could find nothing about. And since this fit perfectly with the story I decided to go with this. The reason I chose this kind of past is because I wanted to give Thresh a reason to grow his feelings for her and for Zaphara to do the same when she finds out. The reason the memories are blurred and has static is because she has shut this memory out when she was alive, Something not many people can do.  
> Please tell me in a review or a message what you think of this backstory for the two. I just randomly thought of this while writing this chapter and thought it fit.


End file.
